At Van Rhijn Bouw, a house builder active in the South Holland region, they use Connec2 during the sales process to visualize their designs and give their customers the feeling of what an extension or dormer window does to the space, for example.
“In the interactive VR environment, we bring together the real estate agent, client, developer, BIM engineer, and buyer’s guidance. Nothing is too extravagant; you genuinely meet up in the future home. It’s digitalization as it’s meant to be,” said Menno de Jong, Digital Building Director/BIM Director at Van Rhijn Bouw.”
Van Rhijn Bouw is a family-owned business, currently led by the third generation. They are true home builders. With approximately 100 colleagues, they operate daily from their office in Katwijk and construction sites in the region.
“About three years ago, our organization was introduced to Connec2. I got acquainted with Connec2 through a colleague from another contractor, Dura Vermeer, where I had the opportunity to experience the VR environment. At that time, our organization was not yet ready to take this step. Now we are!”
For the initial project, Menno conducted a pilot with Connec2, focusing on a specific type of home (split level) where the spatial experience from blueprints didn’t come to life. During the introduction to the client at the real estate office, they presented the VR experience as an additional service. This resulted in highly enthusiastic responses and satisfied customers.
When starting with Connec2, they didn’t need much assistance. “Initially, it’s mostly trial and error, but you quickly get to know the environment because it’s very user-friendly.”
“Don’t expect to immediately have an entire residential area in VR – start small. The strength lies in the spatial experience of a home or apartment from the inside. That’s where the power is!”
Menno finds the interactive collaboration in VR unique. ‘You don’t see this on other platforms. It aligns perfectly with the current mindset of the (young) customer generation. From the comfort of your couch, you decide when to schedule an appointment in your new virtual home with the real estate agent and buyer’s guidance. Walk around together and configure!”
“In the future, we expect to use Connec2 more often, especially for housing types that are difficult to understand from a drawing.”